Introduction | Cantatas | Other Vocal | Non-Vocal | Performers | General Topics | Articles | Books | Movies
Biographies | Texts & Translations | Scores | References | Commentary | Music | Concerts | Bach Tour | Memorabilia
Chorale Texts | Chorale Melodies | Lutheran Church Year | Readings | Poets & Composers | Transcriptions
Search Website | Search Works/Movements | Terms & Abbreviations | Copyright Notice | How to contribute | Links

Recordings & Discussions of Other Vocal Works: Motets BWV 225-231 | Mass in B minor BWV 232 | Missae Breves & Sanctus BWV 233-242 | Magnificat BWV 243 | Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 | Johannes-Passion BWV 245 | Lukas-Passion BWV 246 | Markus-Passion BWV 247 | Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 | Oster-Oratorium BWV 249 | Chorales BWV 250-438 | Geistliche Lieder BWV 439-507 | AMN BWV 508-523 | Quodlibet BWV 524 | Aria BWV 1127

Matthäus-Passion BWV 244

German Title

Matthäus-Passion

Latin Title

Passio Domini Nostri J.C. Secundum Evangelistam Matthaeum

English Title

St. Matthew Passion (SMP)

French Title

La Passion Selon Saint Matthieu

Italian Title

Passione Secondo Matteo

Spanish Title

Pasión según San Mateo

Event

Passion to be performed in Good Friday

Composed

Leipzig, 1729. Revised: Leipzig, late 1740's
1^st performance: April 11, 1727 - Leipzig (Earlier Version, possibly as late as Apr 15, 1729); 2^nd performance: March 30, 1736 - Leipzig (Later Version); 3^rd performance: March 23, 1742 ? - Leipzig (Later Version); 4^th performance: 1743-1746 - Leipzig

Text

Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), based on Matthäus 26-27

German-1 | German [Farao] | Translations: Chinese-2/1 | Chinese-2/2 | English-1 | English-5 | English-10 | English [Farao] | English [CPDL] | French-4/1 | French-4/2 | French [Farao] | Hebrew-1 | Hebrew-2 | Hebrew-3 | Indonesian | Portuguese-2 | Spanish-2
Chorale Texts: Werde munter mein Gemüte | Meinen Jesum laß' ich nicht | Befiehl du deine Wege | O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden | Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit | O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben

Scoring

Soloists: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass; Choir I: SATB; Choir II: SATB
Orchestra: 2 flutes dolce, 2 transverse flutes, oboe, 2 oboes d'amore, 2 oboes da caccia, 2 violins, viola, viola da gamba, continuo
Part 1: Mvt. 1: Chorus | Mvt. 2: Recitative | Mvt. 3: Chorale | Mvt. 4a: Recitative | Mvt. 4b: Chorus | Mvt. 4c: Recitative | Mvt. 4d: Chorus | Mvt. 4e: Recitative | Mvt. 5: Recitative | Mvt. 6: Aria | Mvt. 7: Recitative | Mvt. 8: Aria | Mvt. 9a: Recitative | Mvt. 9b: Chorus | Mvt. 9c: Recitative | Mvt. 9d: Recitative | M9e: Chorus | Mvt. 10: Chorale | Mvt. 11: Recitative | Mvt. 12: Recitative | Mvt. 13: Aria | Mvt. 14: Recitative | Mvt. 15: Chorale | Mvt. 16: Recitative | Mvt. 17: Chorale | Mvt. 18: Recitative | Mvt. 19: Recitative & Chorus | Mvt. 20: Aria & Chorus | Mvt. 21: Recitative | Mvt. 22: Recitative | Mvt. 23: Aria | Mvt. 24: Recitative | Mvt. 25: Chorale | Mvt. 26: Recitative | Mvt. 27a: Aria (Duet) & Chorus | Mvt. 27b: Chorus | Mvt. 28: Recitative | Mvt. 29: Chorale
Part 2: Mvt. 30: Aria & Chorus | Mvt. 31: Recitative | Mvt. 32: Chorale | Mvt. 33: Recitative | Mvt. 34: Recitative | Mvt. 35: Aria | Mvt. 36a: Recitative | Mvt. 36b: Chorus | Mvt. 36c: Recitative | Mvt. 36c: Chorus | Mvt. 37: Chorale | Mvt. 38a: Recitative | Mvt. 38b: Chorus | Mvt. 38c: Recitative | Mvt. 39: Aria | Mvt. 40: Chorale | Mvt. 41a: Recitative | Mvt. 41b: Chorus | Mvt. 41c: Recitative | Mvt. 42: Aria | Mvt. 43: Recitative | Mvt. 44: Chorale | Mvt. 45a: Recitative | Mvt. 45b: Chorus | Mvt. 46: Chorale | Mvt. 47: Recitative | Mvt. 48: Recitative | Mvt. 49: Aria | Mvt. 50a: Recitative | Mvt. 50b: Chorus | Mvt. 50c: Recitative | Mvt. 50d: Chorus | Mvt. 50e: Recitative | Mvt. 51: Recitative | Mvt. 52: Aria | Mvt. 53a: Recitative | Mvt. 53b: Chorus | Mvt. 53c: Recitative | Mvt. 54: Chorale | Mvt. 55: Recitative | Mvt. 56: Recitative | Mvt. 57: Aria | Mvt. 58a: Recitative | Mvt. 58b: Chorus | Mvt. 58c: Recitative | Mvt. 58d: Chorus | Mvt. 58e: Recitative | Mvt. 59: Recitative | Mvt. 60: Aria & Chorus | Mvt. 61a: Recitative | Mvt. 61b: Chorus | Mvt. 61c: Recitative | Mvt. 61d: Chorus | Mvt. 61e: Recitative | Mvt. 62: Chorale | Mvt. 63a: Recitative | Mvt. 63b: Chorus | Mvt. 63c: Recitative | Mvt. 64: Recitative | Mvt. 65: Aria | Mvt. 66a: Recitative | Mvt. 66b: Chorus | Mvt. 66c: Recitative | Mvt. 67: Recitative & Chorus | Mvt. 68: Chorus

Part 1: Score BGA Part 1 [12.7 MB] | Part 2: Score BGA Part 2 [14.3 MB]
Examples from the Score: Examples from the Score | Examples from the Score - Mvt. 29 | St. Matthew Passion by Johann Walter
Chorale Melodies: Werde munter, mein Gemüthe | Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht | Befiehl du deine Wege (I) | Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit | O Welt, ich muß dich lassen

References

BWV 244: BGA: IV/1 | NBA: II/5 | BC: D 3 | Zwang: - | First Published: Berlin, 1830
BWV 244a: BGA: - | NBA: II/5a | BC: B 22 | Zwang: - | First Published:

Commentary

Johann Sebastian Bach: Matthäuspassion (Evangelische Pauluskirche Darmstadt) [German]
Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion - A Chronological Overview
Bach and Dürer: Passion Music and Imagery
St Matthew Passion vs. Titanic
St Matthew Passion BWV 244 (Bethlehem)
Program Notes for Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

Music

Music Examples

Discussions

February 1999 - April 2003 | June 6, 2004 - August 1, 2004

Contents

Complete Recordings - Until 1950
Complete Recordings - 1951-1960
Complete Recordings - 1961-1970
Complete Recordings - 1971-1980
Complete Recordings - 1981-1990
Complete Recordings - 1991-2000
Complete Recordings - From 2001
Recordings of Individual Movements

General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
BWV 244a - General Discussions
BWV 244b - General Discussions

Systemetic Discussions: Part 1: Mvts. 1-8 | Part 2: Mvts. 9-20 | Part 3: Mvts. 21-29 | Part 4: Mvts. 30-40 | Part 5: Mvts. 41-50 | Part 6: Mvts. 51-57 | Part 7: Mvts. 58-63b | Part 8: Mvts. 63c-68 | Part 9: Role of the Evangelist

Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Leonard Bernstein
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Frans Brüggen
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by John Butt
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Joshard Daus
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Stephen Cleobury
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Diego Fasolis
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by John Eliot Gardiner
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Wolfgang Gönnenwein
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Paul Goodwin
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Enoch zu Guttenberg
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Philippe Herreweghe
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Reginald Jacques
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Herbert von Karajan
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Otto Klemperer
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Ton Koopman
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Serge Koussevitzky
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Fritz Lehmann
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Gustav Leonhardt
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Pieter Jan Leusink
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Erhard & Rudolf Mauersberger
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Hermann Max
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Paul McCreesh
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Willem Mengelberg
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Karl Münchinger
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Roger Norrington
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Géza Oberfrank
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Seiji Ozawa
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Andrew Parrott
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Günther Ramin
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Karl Richter
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Helmuth Rilling
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Hans-Joacim Rotzsch
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Hermann Scherchen
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Georg Solti
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Christoph Spering
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Jos van Veldhoven
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Bruno Walter
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Fritz Werner
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - conducted by Mogens Wöldike

Article: Saint Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (by Teri Noel Towe)
Article: Two Easter St. Matthew Passions (by Uri Golomb)
Article: Bach’s St. Matthew Passion from Harnoncourt [by Donald Satz] [Comparative review of 9 recordings]
Article: The Passion according to Saint Matthew BWV 244 [by Joshua Rifkin]
Article: The Relationship between BWV 244a (Trauermusik) and BWV 244b (SMP Frühfassung) [by Thomas Braatz) [PDF]
Timings of Mvt. 1: Chorus Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen [by Willem van Erk] [PDF, January 2007]

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Prepared by Aryeh Oron (December 2000 - May 2008)

Matthäus-Passion BWV 244: Details
Recordings: Until 1950 | 1951-1960 | 1961-1970 | 1971-1980 | 1981-1990 | 1991-2000 | From 2001 | Individual Movements
General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | BWV 244a | BWV 244b
Systemetic Discussions: Part 1: Mvts. 1-8 | Part 2: Mvts. 9-20 | Part 3: Mvts. 21-29 | Part 4: Mvts. 30-40 | Part 5: Mvts. 41-50 | Part 6: Mvts. 51-57 | Part 7: Mvts. 58-63b | Part 8: Mvts. 63c-68 | Part 9: Role of the Evangelist
Individual Recordings: BWV 244 - L. Bernstein | BWV 244 - F. Brüggen | BWV 244 - J. Butt | BWV 244 - S. Cleobury | BWV 244 - J. Daus | BWV 244 - D. Fasolis | BWV 244 - W. Furtwängler | BWV 244 - J.E. Gardiner | BWV 244 - W. Gönnenwein | BWV 244 - P. Goodwin | BWV 244 - E.z. Guttenberg | BWV 244 - N. Harnoncourt | BWV 244 - P. Herreweghe | BWV 244 - R. Jacques | BWV 244 - H.v. Karajan | BWV 244 - O. Klemperer | BWV 244 - T. Koopman | BWV 244 - S. Koussevitzky | BWV 244 - S. Kuijken | BWV 244 - F. Lehmann | BWV 244 - G. Leonhardt | BWV 244 - P.J. Leusink | BWV 244 - E.&R. Mauersberger | BWV 244 - H. Max | BWV 244 - P. McCreesh | BWV 244 - W. Mengelberg | BWV 244 - K. Münchinger | BWV 244 - R. Norrington | BWV 244 - G. Oberfrank | BWV 244 - S. Ozawa | BWV 244 - A. Parrott | BWV 244 - G. Ramin | BWV 244 - K. Richter | BWV 244 - H. Rilling | BWV 244 - H.J. Rotzsch | BWV 244 - H. Scherchen | BWV 244 - G. Solti | BWV 244 - C. Spering | BWV 244 - M. Suzuki | BWV 244 - J.v. Veldhoven | BWV 244 - B. Walter | BWV 244 - F. Werner | BWV 244 - M. Wöldike
Articles: Saint Matthew Passion, BWV 244 [T.N. Towe] | Two Easter St. Matthew Passions (Plus One) [U. Golomb] | St. Matthew Passion from Harnoncourt [D. Satz] | The Passion according to Saint Matthew BWV 244 [J. Rifkin] | The Relationship between BWV 244a (Trauermusik) and BWV 244b (SMP Frühfassung) [T. Braatz]

Recordings & Discussions of Other Vocal Works: Motets BWV 225-231 | Mass in B minor BWV 232 | Missae Breves & Sanctus BWV 233-242 | Magnificat BWV 243 | Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 | Johannes-Passion BWV 245 | Lukas-Passion BWV 246 | Markus-Passion BWV 247 | Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 | Oster-Oratorium BWV 249 | Chorales BWV 250-438 | Geistliche Lieder BWV 439-507 | AMN BWV 508-523 | Quodlibet BWV 524 | Aria BWV 1127

Introduction | Cantatas | Other Vocal | Non-Vocal | Performers | General Topics | Articles | Books | Movies
Biographies | Texts & Translations | Scores | References | Commentary | Music | Concerts | Bach Tour | Memorabilia
Chorale Texts | Chorale Melodies | Lutheran Church Year | Readings | Poets & Composers | Transcriptions
Search Website | Search Works/Movements | Terms & Abbreviations | Copyright Notice | How to contribute | Links